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Product Spotlight: Rhonda Allison's Pumpkin E Serum
Yet another favorite of mine is Rhonda Allison's Pumpkin E Serum - which pairs perfectly with her fabulous Pumpkin Cleanser. This silky, velvety serum supplies skin with potent antioxidants, valuable hydration and healing support. Pumpkin E Serum contains a blend of flavanoids and vital nutrients for much needed skin nourishment and cell protection. Ideal for tired, lifeless, dehydrated skin since it provides oxygen respiration to the tissue, Rhonda Allison's Pumpkin E Serum is considered a "treatment" serum - a very concentrated oil containing Tocopherol D-Alpha (Vitamin E) and the natural extracts of pumpkin seed oil which include Beta-Carotene, Zinc, Salicylic Acid, and Retinol.
Focus Ingredients - Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil - a powerful antioxidant and mild retinoic acid substitute - Archeological evidence from the seeds, rinds, and penduncles (stalks) of gourds show that Native Americans were cultivating cucurbits at least 8,000 years ago. Botanically, the fruit of these plants is called a pepo; a pepo has the ovary wall fused with the receptacle to form a rind. If the fruits are harvested in an immature stage, they're called summer squash, if harvested at maturity it's a winter squash or pumpkin.
Modern fold healers advocate pumpkin seeds to rid the body of intestinal worms and point out that the seed oil is especially helpful for healing burns and wounds. Pumpkin contains large amounts of zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium ferulic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, vitamin A, and Vitamin B. Being high in zinc content, pumpkin may also aid the healing process. Other nutrients include magnesium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and thiamin as well as pantothenic acid, salicylic acid, beta-carotene, retinol, unsaturated oils, and antioxidants.
Pumpkin is used as an exfoliation accelerator, a powerful antioxidant and a mild retinoic acid substitute. Pumpkin contains a wide spectrum of vitamin A derivatives that fit into the retinoic acid receptors found in the skin, activating cellular turnover. The keratolytic properties of pumpkin enzymes make a good non-abrasive preparation for much stronger exfoliations, while decreasing the oxidative and free radical stress associated with chemical exfoliations.
Tocopherol (D-Alpha) - a lipid-soluble vitamin and the natural, chirally correct form of vitamin E; a powerful antioxidant that stimulates the immune system and helps thicken skin tissue -Considered an antioxidant superstar, vitamin E decreases the frequency and severity of pathological events in the skin. According to the Journal of Molecular Medicine (January 1995, pages 7-17), "More than other tissues, the skin is exposed to numerous environmental chemical and physical agents... causing oxidative stress."
The ozone present in polluted air decreases the vitamin E content in the stratum corneum, accelerating oxidation and destruction of membrane lipids. This along with exposure to ultraviolet light may cause skin problems such as erythema, edema, wrinkling, photo-aging and an increased incident of skin cancer. That is why it is vital to apply tocopherol topically to replenish the vitamin E lost in skin by the action of ozone and UV light.
Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil - High in vitamin C and potassium; provides antioxidant and antibacterial properties - Grapefruit Peel Oil also works as an antiseptic, astringent and anti-inflammatory and provides detoxifying, soothing and toning support. Often used to treat acne, oily skin, Citrus Grandis is also a natural preservative that provides a light citrus scent to many skin care products. Because of its high concentrations of flavanoids and vitamin C, grapefruit peel oil also provides great anti-aging benefits - promoting collagen production, improving skin elasticity and helping to diminish hyperpigmentation.
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil - An essential oil often used in aromatherapy to create a more relaxed, happy feeling; an antiseptic that balances oil, provides wound healing, and tones skin - With a rich, sweet-tart aroma, bergamont oil is used in Earl Grey tea, perfumery, and aromatherapy to treat depression in addition to providing relief from skin irritations such as psoriasis, eczema, cold sores, acne, oily skin conditions, and chicken pox. Often used in various medicinal formulations, this essential oil also contains good antibiotic properties making it helpful when treating problematic skin conditions, minor wounds, skin ulcers, and topical infections. It should be noted, however, that this oil could photosensitize the skin.
Cananga Odorata (Ylang-Ylang) Flower Oil - Provides a soothing effect to skin while balancing the secretion of sebum; great for all skin types, oily or dry - First recognized at the beginning of the 20th century, the medicinal properties of ylang-ylang were first discovered to be an effective treatment for all types of diseases including malaria, typhus, and intestinal infections, and were shown to have a calming effect on the heart during times of distress. In the Philippines, healers have long used ylang-ylang in salves to treat insect bites, snake bites, cuts, burns, and scrapes.
Today, ylang-ylang essential oil treats such symptoms as impotence, insomnia, PMS, high blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat. With a very soothing and calming effect, ylang-ylang also treats disorders related to stress, such as insomnia, depression, nervous tension, anxiety, rapid breathy, rapid heartbeat, and high blood pressure. The main chemical components in ylang-ylang are linalool, geranyl aceitate, caryophyllene, p-cresyl methyl ether, methyl benzoate, benzyl acetate, benzyl benzoate, and other sesquiterpenes, as well as caryophyllene, geraniol, eugenol, safrole, farnesol.
In skin care, ylang-ylang has been used to treat eczema, dry scalp, chapped lips, blemishes, and irritation associated with insect stings or bites. Often praised for helping combat acne conditions, ylang-ylang balances sebaceous activity making it good for both oily and dry skin types. Believed to protect the hair and skin from the salt and sun, it is also used for healing and nourishing the roughest skin.
One of the most sought-after ingredients in the perfume industry, ylang-ylang's scent is used as a floral top note in the ever-popular Chanel No.5 Perfume, Beautiful by Estee Lauder, Poison by Christian Dior, and Escape by Calvin Klein.
Glutathione (L) - Protects fibroblasts and helps to avoid wrinkles by strenghtening and rebuilding collagen bonds; a tripeptide that supports the maintenance of cellular antioxidants in tissue- Found in all human tissues, glutathione is the body's only naturally manufactured antioxidant which is extracted as glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine and is a crucial element in the antioxidant defense system of the cell, together with superoxide dismutase, catalase, tocopherol D-alpha (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). All of these antioxidants are required to defend the cell (and the skin) from the powerful, destructive, oxidants formed during the course of metabolism, such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyle oxides and hydroxyl radicals.
The role of glutathione is fundamental where impairment of the glutathione system results in damage to the cell membrane and death of the cells. It is a potent antioxidant amino acid that helps maintain tissue cellular antioxidants and is a key ingredient in neutralizing hydrogen peroxide in lipids, protecting mitochondria from damage and regulating DNA duplication.
Composition - Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (D-Alpha), Critrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor) Bark Oil) Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasminum) Oil, Glutathione (L), Polygonum Cuspidatum (Giant Knotweed) Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil.
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